Engineer and Empowering Women Podcast Host Shannon Bumgarner on Why It's Important to Retain Women in STEM Careers and Recognizing the Impacts of the Wealth Equity Gap

0:00-0:51 - Introduction and Welcome Remarks

The host welcomes the guest speaker, Shannon Bumgarner, to the Women Of Water Virtual Summit and provides an overview of the event's objectives and agenda.

0:51 - 7:13 - Background of Shannon Bumgarner

The speaker has a 20 plus year career in manufacturing, with experience in the paper, telecom, consumer goods, industrial, and HVAC industries. She has experienced various forms of sexism and has seen it all. She became engaged in women's employee resource groups in 2017, started speaking professionally, and co-chairs the women's employee network of her current company. The speaker and the host discuss their shared experiences of striving for gender equality in the workplace.

7:13-14:49 Women facing challenges in their careers due to parenting responsibilities and unpaid labor

The conversation is about women facing challenges in their careers due to parenting responsibilities and unpaid labor, resulting in a pay gap, also known as the parenting gap. Women spend more unpaid hours outside their workday than men, and are assigned unpromotable tasks at work. The conversation also includes the speaker's personal experience of being assigned note-taking duties, affecting her progress at work. The conversation concludes with a discussion on how COVID-19 has affected women's careers.

14:49-24:37 "Queen Bee syndrome"

The speaker talks about her experience of being transferred to a higher position where she found herself caught in a gap between male associates and younger female colleagues. She believes that the "Queen Bee syndrome" still exists in the workplace due to a scarcity mindset, where there's only one seat at the table. She encourages women to pull up another chair at the table and work together to overcome this mentality. She also emphasizes the importance of coaching and supporting women in the industry to retain them and help them rise to leadership positions.

24:37-33:20 Challenges that women face in the workplace

In this conversation, the speakers discuss the challenges that women face in the workplace, especially in male-dominated fields. They highlight the importance of women owning their future and being authentic, and for leaders to check their unconscious biases. They also touch on the challenges of working in regulated industries with strict hierarchies.

33:20-38:26 Keynotes of Shannon- Challenges women face in the workplace, Strategies for retention

The discussion revolves around the challenges women face in the workplace, such as being considered less capable, not getting paid what they deserve, and the bias against entrepreneurship. Strategies for retention include rewiring brains to rethink who owns family life, building communities that support women, and professional development opportunities that are not just soft skills but also technical and strategic thinking.

38:26-40:46  Financial responsibility, Empowering Women in Industry program

The speaker expresses concern about the financial responsibility that she has taken on for her mother, who is able-bodied. She acknowledges that her situation is minor compared to what others deal with but feels passionate about empowering women to take charge of their lives. She mentions the Empowering Women in Industry program, which offers monthly meetups, a book club, and mentoring circles. The program aims to empower and educate women and has an annual conference in October in Chicago. Additionally, a new Empowering Women in Industry magazine will launch in March of this year.

40:46-46:40  Empowering Women in the water industry

Shannon talks about the importance of empowering women in the water industry. She praises the work of Charlie Hecht, founder of Empowering Women in Industry, and encourages women to get involved in the trades. Shannon also offers her support and mentorship to women in the industry.

46:40-46:56 Closing Remarks and Next Steps

In conclusion, Dr. Cat and Shannon hope that the audience enjoyed the amazing interviews presented during the summit. If anyone missed any of them, they can still access all the videos with lifetime access through the Power Pack. Additionally, there is an opportunity to join a brand new community for 30 days to participate in live facilitated conversations about some of the issues that women face in water. The speaker looks forward to seeing everyone there and invites them to visit WaterCitizen.org/women for more information.